Review of Breksta's Academy

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Breksta's Academy" by Natasha Quay.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Title: Breksta's Academy
Author: Natasha Quay

This is an engrossing and sometimes quite scary novel, seen mainly through the eyes of our heroine, Breksta. The book's introduction creates a homely and pleasant image, with the young Breksta enjoying a lovely morning with her mother, Asteria, in an almost perfect place. Darkness on the horizon shakes Breksta's world to the core and changes the direction of her life. She learns to be strong, fit and focused.

From these somewhat horrific beginnings, the book takes the reader through ups and downs in a compelling and strangely interesting story.

I enjoyed Natasha Quay's writing style. It was easy to read and drew me in. It didn't get bogged down with unnecessary detail and descriptive verse (which a teenage reader might find dull). I found it relatively easy to imagine what the various characters looked like, so illustrations would have stifled the imagination in this aspect. In saying this, I would have appreciated some illustrations of the places and buildings to get some reference.

Although quite horrific at times, the book is well suited to a young readership. The protagonists are young, and their adolescent emotions and thoughts are typical for that age, and in this respect, teenage readers will identify with them. There were no sexually graphic descriptions, and the prose was appropriately devoid of profanity.

The editing was perfect, and the chapters were ideal in length, making the book easy to read. I could read two to three chapters at a time. There was no reason to dislike the book, although I realise it's more suited to a younger age group than myself. I enjoyed the innocent tone and fascinating 'academy' storyline. The underlying messages of being strong in adversity, the importance of good over evil, and the importance of friendship and loyalty were clear. I recommend it for older children onwards and will award it a five out of five star rating

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Breksta's Academy
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[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

Thank you for sharing a fair review. I loved your balanced perspective. Keep up the good work!